Miroslav Zajonc
Encyclopedia
Miroslav Zajonc was a Czechoslovakia
n-born luge
r who later competed for both Canada
and the United States
between the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Competing for Canada, he won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1983 FIL World Luge Championships
in Lake Placid, New York
.
Zajonc was born in Czechoslovakia, but defected to Canada in 1981 where he won the country's first medal of any kind in luge either at the Winter Olympics or the World Championships in 1983. Between 1983 and 1985, Zajonc switched his nationality from Canada to the US, finally making his only Winter Olympic team when he was selected to competed for the US at Calgary
in 1988
. He qualified despite breaking his right foot in a training accident five weeks prior to the 1988 Games. Zajonc would finish 11th in the men's doubles event for the US.
After his retirement, Zajonc joined the USA Luge Team's coaching staff and is head coach of the USA Luge Junior Team as of 2007.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n-born luge
Luge
A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
r who later competed for both Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between the late 1970s and the late 1980s. Competing for Canada, he won the gold medal in the men's singles event at the 1983 FIL World Luge Championships
FIL World Luge Championships 1983
The FIL World Luge Championships 1983 took place in Lake Placid, New York, United States. It marked the first time that the championships took place outside of Europe.-Men's singles:...
in Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
.
Zajonc was born in Czechoslovakia, but defected to Canada in 1981 where he won the country's first medal of any kind in luge either at the Winter Olympics or the World Championships in 1983. Between 1983 and 1985, Zajonc switched his nationality from Canada to the US, finally making his only Winter Olympic team when he was selected to competed for the US at Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
in 1988
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. He qualified despite breaking his right foot in a training accident five weeks prior to the 1988 Games. Zajonc would finish 11th in the men's doubles event for the US.
After his retirement, Zajonc joined the USA Luge Team's coaching staff and is head coach of the USA Luge Junior Team as of 2007.